Hot water dispenser of pressure type



Dec. 12, 1961 H. B. CASTILLO HOT WATER DISPENSER OF PRESSURE TYPE Filed Oct. 14, 1959 Unite States Patent ()fiice 3,012,571 Patented Dec. 12, 1961 This invention relates generally to hot water dispensers and more particularly to an improved hot water dispenser of the type which is connected to a supply of water under pressure.

Hot water dispensers of the type to which this invention relates are usually, although not necessarily, incorporated in a combination hot and coldwater dispenser and are connected to a source of water under pressure such as a city water main. In a dispenser of this type, it is desirable to have the tank in which the water is heated open to atmosphere at all times since it eliminates any requirement for safety relief valves and the like, to take care of over-heating of the hot water. However, in a dispenser of this type which has the hot water tank open to atmosphere, a full size vent passage for the excess water caused by thermal expansion of the water in the tank must be provided, to prevent this excess water from dripping from the hot water faucet. If the vent line becomes clogged with minerals from the water, the objectionable drip at the faucet results. In addition, if the vent line is disposed in the path of water being discharged from the tank, there is some hot water that is lost through the vent line each time water is drawn out of the tank. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a hot water dispenser apparatus in which the vent line for the hot water tank communicates with the line which supplies cold water to the hot water tank' As a result, the vent line is out of the path of hot water which is discharged from the tank to avoid any loss of water through the vent line during withdrawal of water from the tank and the danger of clogging of the vent line by mineral deposits is reduced.

A further object of this invention is to connect the vent line to the valve which is actuated to provide for a dis charge of hot water from the tank, in a manner such that when the valve is actuated the normal communication of the vent line with the cold water inlet line to the tank is closed.

A further object of this invention is to provide hot water dispenser apparatus which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and efiicient in operation in providing for a supply of hot water when desired over a prolonged service life.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of the hot water dispenser apparatus of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of a valve in the hot water dispenser apparatus of this invention showing the valve in a closed position; and

'FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the valve illustrated in FIG. 2 showing the valve in an open position.

With reference to the drawing, the hot water dispenser apparatus of this invention, indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1 as including a water inlet pipe 12 connected to a source of water under pressure such as a city water pipe 13, a tank 14 in which water is heated by suitable heating means (not shown), a nozzle 16 through which hot water from the tank 14 is discharged, and a valve 18 having a handle 20 which is actuated to provide for a supply of hot water to the nozzle 16. A line 22 extends from the valve 18 to the tank 14 for supplying water to be heated, hereinafter referred to as cold water, to the lower end of the tank 14, and a line 24 extends between the top end of the tank 14 and the valve 18 for supplying hot water to the valve 18.

A vent line 26 extends from the valve 18 to a drain line 28 and a vacuum break 30 is incorporated in the line 26 to prevent the withdrawal of material from the drain line 28 through the vent line 26.

As shown in FIG. 2, the valve 18 consists of a body 32 having a pair of vertically extending bores 34 and 36 extending therethrough. A nozzle or water inlet member 38 is mounted on the body 32 so that it projects into the lower end of the bore 36 and a seal plug 40 is mounted in the bore 36 adjacent the upper end thereof. The portion of the bore 36 between the nozzle 38 and the seal plug 40 constitutes a valve chamber 42 and a valve member 44 having an upwardly extending tubular stem 46 and a bottom insert 48 formed of a resilient material such as rubber, is mounted in the chamber 42 for movement between a position seated on the nozzle 38, as shown in FIG. 2, and an upper position in which the upper end of the stem 46 engages the lower end of the seal plug 40. A spring 50 extends about the stem 46 and is positioned between the seal plug 40 and the valve member 44 for urging the valve member 44 to the closed position shown in FIG. 2.

A rod 52 threaded at its lower end into the valve stem 46 extends upwardly through the seal plug 4%) and is connected at its upper end to the handle 20' which is operable on downward swinging movement to move the rod 52 upwardly to a position in which the valve stem 46 engages the seal plug 40. The seal plug 40 carries an inner annular seal 54 which contacts the rod 52 and an outer annular seal 56 which engages the inner surface of the bore 36.

The valve body 32 is formed with a transverse passage 60 in which the vent line 26 is positioned and which communicates with the chamber 42 at a position substantially midway between the seal plug 40 and the nozzle 38. A second transverse passage 62, which is inclined with respect to the passage 60, communicates with the valve chamber 42 at a position between the passage 60 and the nozzle 38, and the line 22 extends into the passage 62. The upper end of the line 24 projects into the lower end of the bore 34. As shown in FIG. 2, when the valve member 44 is in its lower position, seated on the nozzle 38, the line 22 communicates through the passage 62, the chamber 42 and the passage 60 with the vent line 26. As shown in FIG. 3, when the valve member 44 is in its upper position, it is between the passages 60 and 62 and blocks communication of the line 22 with the line 26 and provides for communication of the nozzle 38 with the line 22.

A sleeve threaded on the upper end of the body 32 has a radially inwardly extending flange 74 which engages a cap 72 and holds it in a position retaining plug 40 in the bore 36. When the sleeve 70 is removed, all of the moving valve parts in the valve can readily be withdrawn from the bore 36.

In use, when no water is being withdrawn from the tank 14, the valve member 44 is in the position shown in FIG. 2 closing the inlet line 12. Consequently, no cold water is being supplied to the tank 14 which is heated and provided with a suitable thermostatic control (not shown) to maintain the water therein at a desired temperature. Any excess water, due to thermal expansion of the heated water in the tank 14, rises in the line 22 and forces the water in line 22 into the chamber 42 for flow through the vent line 26 and into the drain 28. The next line 26 is at a lower elevation than the nozzle 16 so that all the excess water will flow out the line 26 and there will not be any drip at the nozzle 16. Since the vent line 26 is exposed to only the water resulting from this expansion, the danger of closing of the line 26 from mineral deposits, is substantially reduced. By the time any hot water from tank 14 backs up in the line 22 far enough to reach the line 26, it has cooled off substantially so that the amount of minerals being deposited out of the water is small. Furthermore, the vent line 26 does not have to be limited in size, since it is completely separated from hot water being discharged from the tank 14, so that it can be formed of a size which Will not readily clog.

When hot water is desired at the nozzle 16, the lever 20 is actuated to move the valve member 44- to the position shown in FIG. 3 in which it blocks communication of the vent line 26 with both the nozzle 38 and the line 22. Cold water entering the chamber 42 from the nozzle 38 flows into the line 22 and travels into the lower end of the tank 14 so as to force hot water in the tank 14 upwardly through the line 24 into the bore 34 in the valve body 32 and out the pipe 78 to the nozzle 16. Since the vent line 26 is separated from the flow of hot water from the tank 14 during withdrawal of hot water through the nozzle 16, there is no danger that any of the hot water will be lost through the vent line 26.

It will be understood that the specific construction of the improved hot water dispenser which is herein disclosed and described is presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and is not intended to indicate limits of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hot water dispenser comprising: a tank having means therein for heating cold water; a valve including a valve body having a valve chamber therein and an inlet passageway communicating said valve chamber with a source of cold water under pressure; means defining an outlet passageway communicating said valve chamber with said tank; discharge means connected to said tank through which heated water may be discharged from said tank when cold water is supplied thereto through said outlet passageway; means defining a vent passageway communicating said valve chamber with a drain; a movable valve member in said valve chamber; means normally urging said valve member to a first position wherein the inlet flow of cold water through said inlet passageway into said valve chamber is blocked and said vent passageway is in communication with said outlet passageway through said valve chamber; and means for moving said valve member to a second position wherein communication between said vent passageway and said valve chamber is blocked and said cold water inlet passageway is in communication with said outlet passageway through said valve chamber, whereby cold water will be supplied to said tank and heated water forced therefrom through said discharge means.

2. In a hot water dispenser which is connected to a source of cold water under pressure and includes a tank in which water is heated, and a drain line, the improvement comprising: a valve assembly including a valve body having a valve chamber therein and an inlet passageway communicating said valve chamber with the source of cold water under pressure; means defining an outlet passageway communicating said valve chamber with one end of the tank; means defining a second chamber in said valve body; means defining a passageway communicating the other end of the tank with said second chamber; discharge means communicating with said second chamber through which heated water may be discharged from the tank when cold water is supplied thereto through said outlet passageway; means defining a vent passageway communicating said valve chamber with the drain; a movable valve member in said valve chamber; means normally urging said valve member to a first position wherein the inlet flow of cold water through said inlet passageway into said valve chamber is blocked and said vent passageway is in communication with said outlet passageway through said valve chamber; and means for moving said valve member to a second position wherein communication between said vent passageway and said valve chamber is blocked and said cold water inlet passageway is in communication with said outlet passageway through said valve chamber, whereby cold water will be supplied to the tank and heated water forced therefrom through said discharge means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,613,164 Goode Jan. 4, 1927 2,564,686 Gray Aug. 21, 1951 2,638,108 Williams et al May 12, 1953 2,903,551 Fisher Sept. 8, 1959 

